Welcome to the Week 11 edition of the High & Tight Sports Fantasy Preview. With 3 weeks left until the playoffs begin, it is still crunch time in the fantasy season, with teams trying to fight for the top spot, sneak into the playoffs and or avoid last place and the league punishments that accompany it. This article will include a Top Play, Must Start, and Sleeper from each position as well as players to use caution with or to just avoid completely. RBs, WRs and TEs will be projected off of a PPR format and QBs off of Yahoo standard scoring. Any fantasy questions can be emailed to highandtightsports@gmail.com or DM our twitter @HighTightBlog. Enjoy.
QBs
TOP PLAY: Patrick Mahomes @LAR- This one is pretty simple, Mahomes has been the top QB this whole season and playing a Rams defense/secondary that gave up 31 points to Drew Brees a few weeks ago in a shootout and expect this game to be another one on Monday Night.
MUST START: Jared Goff vs KC- Same reason that Mahomes is the top player this week, Goff has been outstanding all year and this is going to be a shootout, even without probably his favorite receiver in Kupp, being out, he’ll still have a huge game at home against a defense allowing the 8th most fantasy points to opposing QBs.
AVOID: Andy Dalton @BAL- Dalton started the year off hot but has cooled off significantly since Week 4. Many expected a bounce back game from him last week home against the Saints, but he managed only 8.9 fantasy points. This week he plays a division game in Baltimore against a defense that has given up the 3rd fewest passing yards per game and the 8th fewest fantasy points to opposing QBs.
SLEEPER: Eli Manning vs TB- Eli is averaging 301 yards per game and 5:2 TD:INT ratio over the last 3 weeks and is facing the horrendous Tampa Bay defense that’s allowing the 4th most fantasy points to opposing QBs, Eli is poised for a good week.
RBs
TOP PLAY: Todd Gurley vs KC- Another player from the LAR/KC matchup, Gurley is the top RB this season and in this shootout he should see an uptick in receptions and will have at least 1, probably 2 scores as the Chiefs defense has allowed 4 touchdowns to opposing RBs their last 2 games.
MUST START: Christian McCaffrey @DET- Coming off back to back 30 point weeks and a 3 touchdown performance against the Steelers, McCaffrey has another great matchup this week against the Lions defense that allows 132.7 yards per game on the ground and the 8th most fantasy points to opposing RBs.
CAUTION: Kerryon Johnson vs CAR- While he’s established himself as the team’s clear lead back, Johnson hasn’t averaged more than 3.6 yards per carry in his last three, leaving him in need of volume to provide a return against a ninth ranked Panthers run defense that allows 99 yards per game, and HC Matt Patricia already said a few weeks ago that he feels Kerryon’s workload is enough.
SLEEPER: Alex Collins vs CIN- Collins has been a massive dud for those that drafted him and with Ty Montgomery in the mix you’re probably wondering why he’s here, well last week the Bengals defense allowed 207 rushing yards and 56.1 total fantasy points to 3 Saints running backs and have allowed the 3rd most fantasy points to RBs this season. Montgomery specializes in catching the ball, I think Collins can have a big week.
WRs
TOP PLAY: Michael Thomas vs PHI- Obviously he is the top play. 66 poimts over the last 2 weeks and facing an Eagles secondary at home that is allowing the 5th most fantasy points to opposing WRs and just lost Ronald Darby, expect Thomas to put up at least 25 again.
MUST START: Amari Cooper @ATL- This may seem odd but coming off a 10 target 6/75 game against the Eagles and back to back games over 13 points, facing a depleted Falcons defense that allows 294 passing yards per game and the 4th most fantasy points to opposing WRs, Cooper is a must start.
AVOID: Calvin Ridley vs DAL- Ridley is coming off a 7 point performance in which he saw only 5 targets in a loss and has only 1 touchdown in his last 5 games. Now he’s facing the Cowboys defense which is allowing the 2nd fewest fantasy points to opposing WRs. Try to Avoid using Ridley this week.
SLEEPER: Anthony Miller vs MIN- Now with 3 straight weeks over 10 fantasy points and the best game of his season and young career, Miller is my sleeper this week. While he does have a tough matchup with the Vikings, Miller has seen at least 6 targets in his last 4 games and the Vikings will have to focus on stopping Robinson, Burton, Howard and Cohen besides him. I believe 5/60 and a touchdown is a possibility for Miller this week.
TEs
TOP PLAY: Zach Ertz @NO- Ertz will most likely be the top TE in this preview every week, he’s the top TE in the league and it isn’t particularly close. In what could be a shootout in the dome, fire up Ertz as the TE1.
MUST START: Evan Engram vs TB- Engram was very good last year but an injury and inconsistency this year has dragged him down, he’s here because he has great talent and because the Bucs are allowing 292 passing yards per game and the 2nd most fantasy points to opposing TEs.
AVOID: Jimmy Graham @SEA- Coming off a game where he saw just 1 target, and has only 21 fantasy points in his last 3 weeks, I would avoid Graham this week. Especially in Seattle, facing a defense that’s allowing the 6th fewest fantasy points to opposing TEs. He also was just taken off the injury report today after his knee was reported to be bothering him.
SLEEPER: Ricky Seals-Jones vs OAK- Coming off a 9 target 5/51 performance against the Chiefs and due to the lack of depth in TEs, Ricky is my sleeper this week, facing an Oakland defense that has given up and is allowing the 7th most fantasy points to opposing TEs.
DEF
TOP PLAY: Carolina Panthers @DET
BEST STREAM: Arizona Cardinals vs OAK
K
TOP PLAY: Wil Lutz vs PHI
BEST STREAM: Ryan Succop @IND
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